This morning I went to take Leina out of her car seat. As I started to unbuckle her, she said to me, “do it.”

“Yes honey, mamma’s gonna unbuckle you,” I replied as I fiddled with the different locks.

“No, no, no!” Leina cried and pushed my hands away. “Do it!!” she repeated even more emphatically.

“Alright Leina,” I said tersely, “momma will do it!”

Once again my hands were shoved aside as I tried to remove her arms from the now unlocked straps. Leina looked right at me and said, in her most authoritative voice, “no momma, Leina do it!”

I sat back dumbfounded as Leina slipped her arms from her car seat straps, turned around and gently lowered herself out of the seat. Then she turned to me, face beaming and said “Leina big girl!”

Yes, my baby girl is gone. In her stead is this little force of nature who wants to do it her way. I have to restrain myself from rushing to help her. If I show up too soon, she shooes me away with a stern “Leina do it” and so I’m left to hover nearby, watching her stuggle on her own. If she needs help, she asks but mostly, well, she *can* do it.

I can’t believe how fast she’s grown. It seems like in just the last week she’s decided she can take on this world on her own. She wants to get on her scooter herself, get out of the stroller on her own, feed herself, and get the milk from the refrigerator without a helping hand. And she takes such pride from each accomplished task. We pretty much walk around the house beaming at each other, smiling together, and saying, “Leina do it!”